Every family’s budget is a reflection of that family’s priorities, habits and tastes. Here at Gather Little by Little, we do not try to dictate exactly how persons budget should look. Mainly because that is a fool’s errand. But there are some basic principles which govern the advice that appears on this blog. One of them is: the outflow should be less than your inflow. Most of us try to stay under budget by spending less whenever possible. We are a frugal bunch.

Earlier this summer, Mrs. Stew and I went on an overnight trip in honor of our 10 year anniversary. We were able to stay at one of the nicest vacation venues that either of us had ever experienced due to an offer through a website called LivingSocial. We got a fantastic price because everything came together at once: available when we needed it and when we could afford to take advantage. Last week, Ace Hardware held a “bucket” sale, meaning that you received 25% off everything that could be fit into a 10-gallon Ace buck. My timing was perfect as we needed a new bathroom fan . . . which fit in the bucket . . . I got a steal.

I was looking over a list of ideas for generating so-called “passive” income when I was struck by the thought that there really is not such a thing as passive income. I think that many times we look at the way certain monies are earned and if those ways seem easier than the way our money is earned, we consider that money to be passive income. I once made a tax mistake regarding passive income, so there is definitely a difference in how the IRS treats active v passive income.

For the past 2 years, most people (including me!) have been having second thoughts before buying any goods. We didn’t want to make an unnecessary purchases and potentially run into money problems down the road. Each time I stand in front of a store and am about to buy something, I ask myself: “Do I really need it or can it just wait?”

In recent times, I have been receiving email from Chase and their “fabulous” new concept: Chase Blueprint. I was a bit reluctant to look into this “new concept” as I wondered how it could really help a person to manage his debt better”¦ especially since the idea came from a bank ;-)

However, I have received more information about the Chase Blueprint features and they appear promising.

chase blueprint

What is Chase Blueprint?

As the name suggests, Chase is offering you a way to create a Blueprint to pay off your debt. Blueprint is a free debt management system that allows setting repayment goals for specific expenses.

I received an email from the folks at Dillyeo informing me that beginning right now and ending tonight at midnight, they are running a promotion in which they will be giving away free $10 Dillyeo.com Gift Cards. These gift cards are limited to one per household and when you get the card, you’ll have until February 8th at midnight to use it.

After getting your $10 gift card, make sure you visit Dillyeo each day to see if you find an item you can use. If you don’t, well no harm no foul right?

MyPoints is a great program, but let’s face it going through their emails can get a bit tedious and time consuming. I tend to work through my MyPoints emails every couple of days. I used to do them daily, but it just wasn’t worth the hassle for a few emails. I then went to the opposite extreme and tried doing them each week and even tried every two weeks but found that some of bonus emails and surveys expire if not processed quickly. Expired emails = lost points = not good.

Revolution Money Exchange is a new way to exchange money online. Like Paypal, Revolution money Exchange allows you to send and receive money online. But that’s where the similarities end. Which product is better? That depends on what you are trying to. Run an online business? Paypal may be your best choice for now. More of a online shopper and tired of paying Paypal fees? Than Revolution Money Exchange might be just what you’ve been waiting for.

About a month ago, I wrote about two “free money” offers. I received the $50 bonus from Sharebuilder on Friday and transferred it to my checking account. Once it arrives, it will be promptly transferred to pay on my Chase Card.